Don’t know how to spend the weekend? Are you planning a short trip, but unsure of the chosen route? We will tell you where it is best to go within two hundred kilometers from Kyiv.
Berdychiv
A unique heritage of the fifteenth-eighteenth centuries is presented in Berdychiv. The city has 92 monuments of architecture and monumental art.
Powerful defensive walls with towers and a baroque church form an architectural complex that belongs to the Catholic order of the Barefoot Carmelites. The miracle-working icon of the Mother of God of Berdychivska is considered the sanctuary of the church. In one of the outbuildings (the former priest’s house) there is the Berdychiv City Historical Museum. Within its walls, the history of the city will be told and guided tours of thematic exhibitions will be conducted. A trip to the Museum of the English writer Joseph Conrad, which was opened in 2015 in the complex of the Monastery of the Barefoot Carmelites, will be informative.
A stone Orthodox church of St. Nicholas was built on the site of the wooden church in Berdychiv. The building is made in the late Baroque style. The ancient icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered a treasure of the temple.
Guests of the Catholic Temple of St. Barbara will feel cozy and comfortable. The church was built on the site of a wooden church. The grotto of the Virgin Mary is located near the temple. It seems interesting that the famous French writer Honore de Balzac was married in these walls.
Tereshchenko Palace in Andrushivka
In the city of Andrushivka (Zhytomyr region) you can visit the wonderful Tereshcheko Palace. As soon as you enter through the front gate, the architectural monument of the nineteenth century will transport you back a hundred years.
A bright neo-Renaissance style building with a neat facade, has preserved interior elements to this day. Inside the manor you can see stucco decoration on the ceilings, a striking marble staircase and an antique carved table.
Today there is a school in the castle. Near the palace there is a fabulous park area with a swan pond in the center. On the territory of the park you can see centuries-old oaks and a monument to Tereshchenko.
The Tereshchenko manor in Chervone
The Tereshchenko estate in the village of Chervone (Zhytomyr region) will make a special impression on travelers.
Once inside the palace, a richly decorated vestibule stood out with a staircase made of white marble. The large hall with Venetian crystal chandeliers deserved special attention.
To this day, nothing has survived from the magnificent and expensive interior.
Walking around the territory of the manor, you can see a fountain, which, unfortunately, is not working. Today, the Red Convent of the Nativity of Christ operates at the manor.
Island of love and hunting lodge
In the seemingly unremarkable village of Stary Solotvyn on a tiny island, there is a hunting lodge, as if from a children’s fairy tale. The house was built for fishermen so that they could hide in case of bad weather.
Wooden walls among green thickets and water add romantic notes and some mystery to this picturesque place. To get to the house, you need to cross a wooden bridge.
Verkhivnia – Balzac Museum
The palace of Count Gansky in the village of Verkhivnia was built by an Italian architect in 1800. The Empire-style castle was perfectly combined with antique motifs in the decor.
A luxurious estate, a green park and a burial church became a gift from the count to his wife Evelina. From this palace, a young girl under the pseudonym “Foreigner” sent Honore de Balzac a letter. After some time, they met in Switzerland, but Balzac was able to come to Verkhivnia only after the death of the count. On the second floor there was the writer’s office, where the works “Deputy from Arci”, “Stepmother”, “Theatre as it is”, “Petty Bourgeois” were written.
In other halls, a collection of portraits of Balzac performed by his contemporaries is presented. Other rooms of the estate belong to the Agricultural College.
Horodkivka – Church of St. Clare
A trip to the village of Horodkivka will be atmospheric and calm. There, near the shores of a small pond, there is the church of St. Clare. The construction of the church was initiated by the Polish writer E. Ivanovskyi. The temple building resembles a medieval castle.
The church combines Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. Currently, the temple belongs to the Roman Catholic order of the Barefoot Carmelites.
Lake Buchak
In the village of Buchak, there is an amazing artificially created corner Lake Buchak. The nature monument was founded on the site of the deepening in the ground of the unfinished Kanivska PSH.
Due to construction works, the village was partially destroyed, and the forest was destroyed. The construction of the facility was stopped by the accident at the Chornobyl NPP. Today, the shores of the lake are overgrown with reeds. There are fish in the water.
Chornobyl
Alienated due to intensive pollution the territories of the Kyiv region are popular among lovers of non-standard trips. Excursions are regularly held in the Chornobyl zone. As part of a one-day tour, tourists will be told the history of the city and the details of the 1986 tragedy.
Travelers will be able to visit Glory Park, an observation deck, the Illinska Church, a river port and see a radar station. Messengers for impressions should go to the abandoned city of Prypyat. In the empty city you will be able to see houses, schools, kindergartens. The visiting cards of the city are Polissya hotel and the Ferris wheel.
Kachanivka
The palace and park ensemble in the village of Kachanivka once belonged to the Tarnovsky noble family. Today, the manor of the famous landowners is well preserved. The castle is considered a vivid example of the construction of the Left Bank of Ukraine. The architectural complex includes a castle, two outbuildings, a water tower and a front yard.
A huge collection of works if art and national Ukrainian antiquities was collected in the Tarnovsky palace. A pond and sculptures complement the landscape park. In the eighties of the last century, a historical and cultural reserve called “Kachanivka” was created. Museum exhibits were located in the halls of the palace. The outbuildings now have hotel rooms, and you can find a shop and a cafeteria nearby.
The flooded church in Rzhyshchiv
In the 70s, a reservoir was created in Kaniv. During the construction works, some villages in the vicinity of Rzhyshchiv were flooded. In the area of the former village of Gusenytsia, the half-flooded Transfiguration Church with a small bell tower, which can be climbed, has been preserved.
For quite a long time, the temple was in a ruined state. In 2009, a decision was made to raise the level of the island and reconstruct the church. In summer, travelers can reach Transfiguration Church from the Rzhyshchiv pier by motor boat.
Burial pyramid
In the village of Berezova Rudka, there is a family burial ground of the Count Zakrevskyi family. The shape of the crypt resembles an Egyptian pyramid.
According to one version, the architect was a freemason and admired the culture of Ancient Egypt. The mausoleum was built over the grave of the ancestors, which adds to the symbolic meaning of the tomb. The structure combines pyramid shapes, pagan elements and Orthodox symbols. Near the entrance to the tomb there is a statue of the goddess Isis brought from Egypt. An Orthodox cross was visible above the entrance to the pyramid. An altar and a stone cross were located in the central part of the hall.
The burial pyramid in Berezova Rudka is one of the three pyramid temples in Ukraine. During the Soviet era, the mausoleum was looted. Currently, the building is in need of restoration.
Ichnyanskyi National Park
In Chernihiv Oblast, by order of the President of Ukraine, the Ichnyanskyi National Park was created in 2004.
Walking in the forests of the national park, you can enjoy the fresh air. Here there is maple, hornbeam, oak, linden and many medicinal plants, some of which are listed in the Red Book. The picturesque park has an eco-educational trail and an eco-touristic route. All the conditions for family vacations (houses, tourist equipment) have been created here.
Mizhrichynskyi regional landscape park
The regional park in Chernihiv region was created in 2002. Over the years, the park area has been expanded several times. In this regard, Mizhrichynskyi Park is today considered the largest among regional landscape parks.
Its creation was facilitated by Ukrainian ecoclubs, zoological communities and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ukraine. The first ecological path is laid out on its territory. This place is characterized by swamp, meadow, forest and water vegetation.
The natural features of the park are unique. For example, the Desna River on the territory of the park is in the drinking water supply, and the forests at the national level are used in the woodworking industry. In the park, there are military training grounds, where hunting and economic activities take place. The regional park is home to many animals such as doe, weasel, shrew, fox, hare, ermine and others.
The Khoetskyi estate
In the Kyiv region, in the village of Tomashivka, at the beginning of the twentieth century, a residence was designed for the Khoetskyi nobles. The two-story manor house was built of brick. According to the design, the building had a complex plan. Cornices, blades and pediments, located on the background of the front wall above the window opening, added notes of sophistication to the building’s architecture.
The open veranda was decorated with carved decoration and a loggia. In Soviet times, a school was located within the walls of the manor, today the Ryzopolozhenskyi Men’s Monastery (UOC) operates within its walls and restoration works are underway. A bell tower and a chapel are also under construction. At the entrance to the monastery there is an old storeroom built of black granite, and in the depths of the park there is a peripter.
On the territory of the former residence, the monks created an apple orchard and a zoo where you can see various birds, ostriches and ponies. Travelers are asked not to take photos on the territory of the monastery and to be modestly dressed.
Granite quarry in Bohuslav
In the city of Boguslav, you will be advised to visit the “Pit” – that is what the people call the geological monument of nature, the Boguslav granite quarry. In this fabulous place, along the bed of the Ros River, there are relief rocks, the height of which reaches ten to twelve meters. On the slopes of the valley, granite blocks embed in the ground can be seen from afar. If you go downstream, you can see a suspension bridge.
Travelers with tents have the opportunity to set up camp on the island and enjoy swimming in the pits. In summer, the granite quarry is visited by many people.
The ideal village of Kovalivka
If you want to get acquainted with the era of “wild capitalism”, then you should go to the exemplary village of Kovalivka.
According to legends, the village was founded by the blacksmith Nazarenko in the sixteenth century. The heyday of this place fell in the nineties of the last century. For the Ukrainian hinterland, Kovalivka impresses with its rural aesthetics, impeccable cleanliness, high-quality roads and excellent infrastructure. The streets of a real European village are decorated with manicured lawns, flower beds, installations made of flower pots or stones, gazebos and forged bridges.
A pond with swans deserves special attention. Passing through the village, you should look into the architectural center of Kovalivka, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, look at the cultural center and visit the restaurant “Land of Dreams” (“Land of Dreams”).
Pyryatyn – the location of the movie “Queen of Gas Station”
A historical place in the city of Pyryatyn (Kyiv Oblast) can be considered the location of the shooting of the legendary Soviet comedy “Queen of Gas Station” (1962).
The cafe is located in the building of the Pyryatyn bus station. You can get there via highway M-03 (E-40) “Kyiv – Kharkiv”.
The interior of the cafe has not changed. Photos of the actors on the walls serve as a reminder of the filming.
The cafe offers home-cooked meals.
Author: Vladyslava Bushkevich